Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image-forming device comprising: a printing element configured to successively print a plurality of printing jobs in a printing queue, a holding element configured to remove a printing job from the printing queue and hold the printing job in response to first user input, the holding element configured to determine if any other printing jobs sharing a characteristic in common with the printing job are subject to being held based on second user input received subsequent to the first user input and removing and holding any other printing jobs, which share a characteristic in common with the printing job and are subject to being held, from the printing queue based on the second user input; and a release element configured to return the printing job on hold to the printing queue.
2. The image-forming device according to claim 1 , further including a deleting element configured to delete the printing jobs in the printing queue in response to third user input.
3. The image-forming device according to claim 2 , wherein the deleting element is configured to delete the printing jobs that are being held in response to fourth user input.
4. The image-forming device according to claim 1 , comprising an input interface configured to receive entry of a password, wherein if the password entered matches a stored password, the release element returns the printing jobs on hold to the printing queue.
5. The image-forming device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding element stores the held printing jobs in a removable memory.
6. The image-forming device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a portion of the printing jobs held by the holding element have been printed and the printing jobs are returned to the printing queue by the release element, only an unprinted portion of the printing jobs is configured to be printed by printing element.
7. The image-forming device according to claim 1 , wherein the printing jobs are received by the image forming device from a computer connected to the image-forming device.
8. A computer implemented method for execution in an image forming device comprising: successively printing a plurality of printing jobs in a printing queue, receiving first user input requesting that a printing job in the printing queue be held; determining if any other printing jobs share a characteristic in common with the printing job are subject to being held based on second user input received subsequent to the first user input; removing and holding the printing job and any other printing jobs, which share a characteristic in common with the printing job and are determined to be subject to being held, from the printing queue based on the second user input, and returning the printing job on hold to the printing queue.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: deleting the at least one printing job returned to the printing queue in response to third user input.
10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: receiving entry of a password when the at least one printing job is being held, and determining if the password entered matches a stored password, wherein the returning the at least one printing job on hold to the printing queue occurs in response to determining that a match exists.
11. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: storing the printing job being held in a removable memory.
12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein, when a portion of the at least one printing job held has been printed and the at least one printing job is returned to the printing queue, only an unprinted portion of the at least one printing job is printed.
13. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising receiving the at least one printing job from a computer connected to the image-forming device.
14. One or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that when executed perform the method of: successively printing a plurality of printing jobs in a printing queue, receiving first user input requesting that a printing job in the printing queue be held; determining if any other printing jobs share a characteristic in common with the printing job are subject to being held based on second user input received subsequent to the first user input; removing and holding the printing job and any other printing jobs, which share a characteristic in common with the printing job and are determined to be subject to being held, from the printing queue based on the second user input, and returning the printing job on hold to the printing queue.
Unknown
October 5, 2010
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